Each and every day, something new pops up to make more and more immigrants afraid. It’s no longer only about keeping your nose clean to escape arrest. In fact, just about everyone fearful of deportation avoids even minor traffic violations. Nevertheless, there is an unfortunate sentiment that the authorities have changed their tune. Just about every non-citizen feels they could be the next target.
Truth be told, there’s are good reasons for concern. News blasts about ICE raids on 7-Eleven stores in seventeen states are evidence of a new tactic. The inference was obvious. Were the convenience stores hiring undocumented workers? What brought them to that conclusion?
Meanwhile, other targets could include different types of employers that hire undocumented immigrants. ICE is significantly cracking down on these businesses and enacting a more stringent review of paperwork. For some, this could mean more difficulty in finding employment. However, the looming fear is that pursuing particular types of businesses can result in more immigration arrests.
Immigrants in the Workplace
This week, the nation saw the national immigration conversation reach its lowest point in decades, and perhaps ever. What started as a talk about continuing DACA protection made things worse. It’s not just about allegations of poor language choices, but about less preferential immigration treatment to some nations.
However, that’s just part of the bad news for all types of immigrants. The threat of deportation is even more real for immigrants in the workplace. ICE is expanding inspections of I-9 forms, which are used to verify an employee’s eligibility to work in the United States. Some undocumented immigrants may have found ways to avoid producing the necessary paperwork.
However, many employers may now resist the chance they take on hiring illegal immigrants. Fines for incomplete paperwork can range from $216 to $2,156. The move not only targets small businesses in Houston and all over the country. As you know, it also cripples the ability of undocumented immigrants to earn and take care of their families.
This is the latest effort to ramp up workplace enforcement and penalize businesses for hiring undocumented workers. Thomas Homan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, recently said that he plans to hire 10,000 new workplace enforcement officers and increase inspections by 400 percent to 500 percent.
No doubt the idea of an arrest is a scary thought. However, now every place of business that hires immigrants will be on alert. At the very least, workers risk confinement in a detention center. In worst case scenarios, they may be deported.
What does this mean to you? Undocumented workers put in hard work in the construction industry, as well as long days in manufacturing companies. You may be someone employed by a landscaping business or a restaurant. The reality is that ICE can come in and take you away from your family. The fact that they can find you because you work is disconcerting.
You may not understand the change in climate. However, you do need to be prepared. For starters, you need to know what to do if you are brought to a detention center. Seek the help of legal professionals. In many cases, you will be entitled to a temporary release until your hearing. An immigration bond allows that freedom. Use every tool to spend time with your family.
Protect Yourself
Freedom Federal Bonding Agency provides immigration bonds for those facing removal from the United States. We are ready to help you or your loved one gain the freedom to fight their immigration charges. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you.